Infusion pumps infuse fluids, medications and/or nutrients into the circulatory system of an individual or patient. The infusions may be intravenous, arterial, epidural and the like. Infusion pumps can administer injections continuously, intermittently, or upon patient request. Infusion pumps are used by clinicians for patients when more accuracy is needed than with manually adjusted gravitational administration of fluids into a patient's circulatory system. Infusions pumps can be used for infusion of a variety of fluids and medications including, but not limited to anesthesia, chemotherapy, IV drugs, blood transfusions and the like.
In a typical workflow, a clinician must follow a particular order before certain medical devices that are used to treat or care for a patient, such as infusion pumps, can begin treating a patient. When the particular order is not followed, the devices enter an error state that causes the clinician to have to reset the device and start the process over. This is typically a manual process that involves the use of a barcode scanner. The clinician must scan each of the barcodes associated with the patient, the infusion, and the device before the patient is able to be treated. Additional delays may result if the clinician does not follow the appropriate order or if communication between the pump and an infusion application (or healthcare information system) is not yet established. In cases where the patient is receiving multiple infusions from multiple pumps, the clinician may be required to confirm the right pump is programmed with the right order at the right sight. However, with several infusion lines present, it is often difficult and time consuming to confirm the correct pump. Each of these delays can affect timeliness and effectiveness of patient care and may also frustrate the clinician, the patient, and family members of the patient.